Ask 10 medical professionals their opinion on the pros and cons of vitamins, and you're apt to get 10 different replies.
Generally, it is agreed that vitamins have their place, though more as a supplement than as an everyday necessity.
"For the most part, the regular everyday person, with our Western diet, doesn't really need any vitamin supplementation," said John Blumer, physician with Glynn Family Medicine Center of the Southeast Georgia Health System. "We get all we need in our regular diet."
Eating the proper foods and sticking to a diet is the key to getting the proper nutrients, of course. But eating right all the time is not an easy task.
"It's kind of hard to always be on that 'eat right' part," said nutritionist Thom Davis with Feelin' Great and Wellness Center in Brunswick. "Many people take vitamins for heart health or to make up for some deficiency because they are not getting something (in their diet)."
Pharmacist Tommy Bryan, owner of St. Simons Drugs, said he sees conflicting information from time to time on the necessity of taking vitamins regularly. The medical profession, as a whole, is still undecided on the issue.
"It's a vitamin, not a drug, and it's a supplement," Bryan said. "There haven't been as many studies on the value of vitamins and the necessity of them. They are not studied like a drug would be. The medical opinions on the good and bad of (vitamin) products sway back and forth. It goes from thinking they're a necessity to thinking we don't need them."
Elderly people, of course, are the most likely segment of the population to go lacking in their diets. Depending on their living situation, they may not be getting the proper nutrients on a daily basis or may not be aware of what nutrients they need. Some vitamins can also help with vision and ward off bone disease. "You have to go on a case-by-case basis," Blumer said. "Some elderly are not getting the necessary calcium intake, so they need a specific one that contains B12 and Folic acid. "Then you have people on strange diets who may need a supplement, women who are menopausal or someone who needs help with bone health may need a certain vitamin." Bryan said an older person who is not getting the proper nutrients will be advised to take B vitamins, Folic acid, and, now the rage, vitamin D. "Studies show the value of vitamin D to help with brittle bones," Bryan said. In addition, the time of the year can effect the need for vitamins, Davis said. "Most people will forget, but I like to see for some, at least, to do something in the dead of summer and the dead of winter," Davis said. "Our immune system changes and we need help during those times." Bryan said other vitamins are useful.
"Things like vitamin C can help with cancer treatment," Bryan said. "It tries to boost your immune system." With some vitamins, it's hard to take too much. "Large doses of vitamin C and vitamin B, for instance, won't hurt because your body excretes the excess," Bryan said. That's not the case with all vitamins, however. "(C and B) are water soluble, but some vitamins are fat solubles (like vitamins A, D, E, K) and are stored and you can get too much," he said. "A lot depends on whether you are male or female, whether you need iron or don't need iron. We try to gauge how good they're eating to gauge if they need a vitamin." The upshot is, day in and day out, "you don't need to pick out 20 different vitamins to take." he said. "Do what you're supposed to do and you shouldn't need them."
